Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a large bowl. In a blender, purée the scallions, ginger, Sichuan broad bean chile paste, soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, salt, and water until smooth, then pour the mixture over the chicken. Rub each piece to make sure it’s evenly coated, then cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or up to overnight, turning the chicken once halfway through.

Make the mala hot paste: In a spice blender, blend the chile flakes, peppercorns, white pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and star anise until powderized. Set aside. Mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the oil and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until brown bits start to form on the sides and bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the powdered spice mixture. Stir and let cook for 1 minute, until the powder has darkened in color and smells fragrant. Add the sesame oil mixture and stir to combine evenly. Let sit for at least 1 hour (or you can make it the day before).

Fry the chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade and rinse off any excess sticking to the skin and meat. Dab really dry with paper towels (this allows the buttermilk and breading to stick better) and set aside.

Prepare two bowls: In the first, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. In the second, whisk together the flour, potato starch, rice flour, baking powder, black and white peppers, garlic powder, baking soda, and salt. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix briefly with a fork; this will create tiny coagulations of breading that make a great crust.

Now wash your hands thoroughly. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip it into the buttermilk mixture, turning and drenching several times until evenly coated, then drain slightly and transfer it to the flour mixture. Press the flour mixture lightly into the chicken, turning to coat it until you can’t feel any sticky surfaces left. Tap the chicken to remove any excess flour, then set aside on a baking sheet. Rub off the coagulated breading sticking to your fingers and let it fall back into the flour mixture; this will create more crispy bits in the breading. Repeat to bread the rest of the chicken.

Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before frying. This allows the breading to hydrate and creates a crispier crust.

Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C.

Using a Dutch oven or other pot for frying that’s at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) deep, pour canola oil in to a depth of 3 inches (8 centimeters). This will prevent the oil from overflowing when you’re frying. Heat the oil to 325°F/160°C, or until it bubbles up immediately around an inserted wooden chopstick. Without crowding the pot, in small batches, fry the chicken pieces until golden brown all around, 8 to 10 minutes for drumsticks and breasts and 10 to 12 minutes for thighs. Drain the chicken pieces well and transfer them to a sheet pan. Set the pan in the oven to keep the chicken warm while you fry the rest.

Reheat the mala hot paste over medium heat to loosen its consistency (the butter makes the paste thick as it cools and hard to spread). Mix in 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, then brush the hot paste over the fried chicken to coat it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken with the rest of the cilantro and serve with squishy white bread immediately.